Arrangement in packing of sheet material such as paper

ABSTRACT

This invention relates to an arrangement for packaging sheet material such as paper intended for printing or photo-copying use, in which arrangement a set of paper sheets ( 3 ) is placed within a continuous protective package ( 1 ). Inside the protective package ( 1 ) there is at least one handle ( 4 ), which is placed essentially around all of the paper sheets ( 3 ) in the package.

This invention relates to an arrangement for packing sheet material suchas printing and photocopy paper, as described in the preamble to claim1.

Today's photocopiers and printers can be very large, efficient and fast,which means that they use a lot of paper. In known technology, paperprovided in sheet form, such as A4-sized photocopy and printing paper,is usually packaged in corrugated board boxes, each box containing fivepaper packages wrapped in individual paper wrappings. Each paperpackage, known as a ream wrap, contains 500 A4-sized sheets of paper. Acorrugated board box provides office paper with good protection duringtransport, but is problematic due to its cost and to the space taken upby the empty box before it is disposed of or recycled. Another problemis related to fast machines and to situations in which paper is usedalmost constantly, in that refilling the paper tray is slow because theream wrap must be removed individually and each bundle of 500 sheetsmust be loaded into the machine individually, even though the machinecould fit up to thousands of sheets at a time.

There are also corrugated board boxes containing for example 2,500 loosesheets. In this case ream wraps do not have to be opened or disposed of,but they still have the problem of slow loading into the machine,because the papers must be lifted by hand out of the box in bundles thatfit into the hand, and piled up into a larger pile in the photocopier'sor printer's paper tray. Lifting an entire bundle of paper with a singlelifting handle is also difficult because the bundle might weigh forexample 10-15 kg. However, the heavy bundle then has to be placedaccurately onto the photocopier's or other machine's feed tray withoutdamaging the sheets' corners or edges. A heavy bundle can bend at thehandle if only one handle is in use. This can cause damages toindividual sheets or deform the bundle, which makes placing the bundleonto the feed tray difficult. When lifting with a single handle, a heavybundle might tip and come apart. Lifting sheets of paper out ofcardboard boxes is also problematic. Another problem with cardboardboxes is that, being larger and made of thicker material, they cause agreater amount of waste to be disposed of.

The object of this invention is to remove the problems described aboveand achieve an optimally beneficial arrangement for packaging sheetmaterial such as office paper so that the paper is easy and quick toload into a photocopier, printer or other piece of office machinery thatuses paper. The arrangement described in the invention is characterisedby what is disclosed in the characterisation part of claim 1. Otherembodiments of the invention are characterised by what is disclosed inthe other claims.

The benefit of the solution according to the invention is that thepackage according to the invention is very cheap and quick tomanufacture. Another benefit is that the office paper can be unloadedquickly and easily from the package into the machine that uses it, asufficient number of sheets at a time, using the handle inside thewrapping being as a package protection or inside the cardboard box. Thisreduces the downtime of the machine and keeps the sheets in optimalcondition. A further benefit is the use of a base plate as a supportunder the sheet bundle, as the base plate protects the sheets at thebottom of the bundle from damage. The base plate keeps the bottom sheetsfrom being damaged for example when the handles are pulled off, andtherefore prevents blockages which could be caused in the photocopier's,printer's or other machine's paper line by damaged sheets.

Further, the bundles equipped with two handles and placed inside a wrapor box, are easier to manage than those with just one handle. When abundle is lifted by two handles, it maintains its balance better,removing the risk of tilting and consequent breakage of the bundleand/or damaging of the sheets. It also reduces the bending caused bylifting, and point loading at the edge of the bundle's base plate ishalved in comparison with the use of a single handle. When sheets arefed into a machine using two hands and two handles, the risk ofdeforming the bundle and consequently damaging the sheets issignificantly reduced. Another benefit is that in the package accordingto the invention, there is one carry handle on the outside of the reamwrap and two handles inside the ream wrap, all situated at differentpoints. Thus the loading caused by moving the package and lifting thebundle is on different points of the base plate, which keeps the baseplate in better condition and ensures that the bundle remains tight, asthere are no deformities in the base plate that might loosen thebundle's carry and lifting handles even if the package is moved orlifted several times before it is opened.

Another benefit of the invention is that it facilitates the lifting andmoving of a heavy package using two hands, which distributes the loadevenly between both hands. Thanks to well-shaped handles or similardevices, the weight does not strain the hands in the way that previouslyused thin plastic strips or single lifting handles do. A further benefitis that when the package only has one relatively thin wrap around allthe paper sheets, the wrapping itself does not cause much waste.

Below, the invention is described in detail using application examples,by referring to the appended figures, in which

FIG. 1 shows the package according to the invention, viewed diagonallyfrom the side, with the as a package protection being wrapping or boxremoved,

FIG. 2 shows a package according to the invention viewed diagonally fromthe side,

FIG. 3 shows a package according to FIG. 2, viewed diagonally from theside, with the carry handle removed and a part of the as a packageprotection being wrapping turned open from the opening strip,

FIG. 4 shows another package according to the invention, vieweddiagonally from the side, where the bundle of sheets is in a box with apart of the lid cut off,

FIGS. 5-8 show diverse carry handle solutions for the package accordingto the invention, and

FIGS. 9-11 show diverse layer structures for the protective wrappingaccording to the invention, in simplified and enlarged form.

FIG. 1 shows a package according to one beneficial embodiment of theinvention, where a sheet bundle 2 consisting of separate paper sheets 3has been extracted from its packaging. Similarly, FIG. 2 shows a papersheet package according to one beneficial embodiment of the invention,where the sheets are packed in a single, essentially continuousprotective package 1. The protective package 1 consists of anessentially thin and flexible wrap 1 a. Around the wrap 1 a is anexternal carry handle 12 that surrounds the package essentially aroundits shorter perimeter, used for lifting and moving the package.

FIG. 1 shows a package according to the invention, opened so that thewrap 1 a used as a protective package 1 is completely removed and thepaper sheets 3 contained in the package are indicated with short lines.The paper sheets 3 are all piled on top of each other in a single bundleof for example 2,500 sheets or more. Underneath, i.e. inside, the wrap 1a acting as a protective package 1 contains, when unopened, twoessentially identical handles 4, which surround the bundle of sheets 2essentially around its shorter perimeter, which handles are placed at asuitable horizontal distance from each other and in essencesymmetrically in relation to the midline of the bundle of sheets.Therefore the handles 4 are placed for example essentially at the samedistance from each of the ends of the sheet bundle 2, and situated sothat they are not both at the midline of the sheet bundle 2, where thecarry handle 12, which may be located on the outside of the unopenedpackage, would be placed. According to the invention, the paper sheets 3are arranged to be lifted using both handles 4 with both hands, as asingle sheet bundle 2, into the machine that uses paper, after removingthe wrap 1 a used as a protective package 1 completely or partially fromaround the sheet bundle 2. The handles 4 are also helpful when removingthe wrap 1 a. The tightness of the handles 4 around the sheet bundle 2is arranged to be such that fingers can be easily slipped in between thehandles 4 and the sheet bundle 2. When the sheet bundle 2 has beenlifted into the paper tray of the machine that uses paper sheets 3, thehandles 4 are cut and slid out from underneath the sheet bundle 2, afterwhich the paper sheets 3 are ready for use.

FIG. 1 also shows a base plate 5, placed in the unopened package insidethe protective package 1, at the bottom of the sheet bundle 2, whichbase plate is meant for supporting the sheet bundle 2 and to make iteasier to remove the handles 4 in a way that does not damage the papersheets 3 in the bundle 2. The base plate 5 for example keeps the bottomsheets 3 from being damaged when the handles 4 are pulled off, andtherefore prevents blockages that could be caused in the photocopier's,printer's or other machine's paper line by damaged sheets. The baseplate 5 is made of a thicker and stronger material than the paper sheets3. The base plate 5 can be placed at the bottom of the sheet bundle 2 inall of the packages according to the invention, even if it is not shownin the figures. The base plate 5 also works in other solutions accordingto the invention in the same way as in the package of the describedembodiment, by supporting the sheet bundle 2 and making the removal ofthe handles 4 easier. Further, the base plate 5 is constructed in a waythat makes it stay at the bottom of the paper tray and not be taken intothe photocopier or printer. The base plate 5 is removed from the feedtray before a new sheet bundle 2 is loaded.

FIG. 1 also shows a top plate 6, placed in the unopened package insidethe protective package 1, at the top of the sheet bundle 2, which topplate is meant for supporting the sheet bundle 2 from the top so thatthe paper sheets 3 particularly at the top of the bundle 2 are notdamaged. The top plate 6 is made of a thicker and stronger material thanthe paper sheets 3. The top plate 6 can be placed at the top of thesheet bundle 2 in all of the packages according to the invention, evenif it is not shown in all of the figures. The top plate 6 is removedfrom the top of the sheet bundle 2 after the handles 4 have beenremoved.

In FIG. 2, a sheet bundle 2 consisting of a pile of paper sheets 3, e.g.of A4 size, is packaged into a continuous wrap 1 a that acts as aprotective package 1, and that is made of a paper-based, flexiblematerial. The package is made out of a reel-based wrap 1 a, which wrap 1a is pulled directly of the reel during packaging and cut off at thecorrect length, after which the wrap 1 a is rolled around a set of forexample 2,500 separate office paper sheets 3 placed on top of each otherinto a pile, equipped with handles 4, such that the top, bottom and bothlong sides of the bundle are wrapped in a continuous wrapper, in whichthe back end 8 of the wrap 1 a overlaps the front end 8 a of the wrap 1a by a suitable amount and is glued down by its inner surface to theouter surface of the front end 8 a. The hidden front end 8 a of the wrap1 a is indicated here and in other figures using a dashed line. The backend 8 of the wrap 1 a is placed suitably on top of the package,essentially close to one of its long corners. At each end of the packageare at least outer folds 1 b and 1 c and inner folds 1 d and 1 e, whichfolds are placed at least partially overlapping. The folds at the endsform a strengthened protection for the ends of the paper sheets 3 in thepackage, where even a small accident could easily cause damage toseveral sheets 3.

In the package in FIG. 2, the external folds 1 b and 1 c are glued usingfor example hot glue to each other and at least to the outer surface ofthe upper inner fold 1 d, such that at least the lower corners of theouter folds 1 b and 1 c are separate from the outer surfaces of theinner folds 1 d and 1 e. Thus a downward-opening lifting gap 7 is leftbetween the outer folds 1 b and 1 c and the inner folds 1 d and 1 e,which gap can be expanded outward from the end of the package so thatthe person lifting the package can fit several fingers into the liftinggap 7 from below, and that the lower edges of the outer folds 1 b and 1c act as a support.

FIG. 2 also has a dashed line indicating the opening strip 9, glued tothe inner surface of the wrap 1 a. The opening strip 9 is essentiallythe same length or suitably longer than the width of the wrap 1 a beforeit is wrapped around the bundle. The opening strip 9 is attached to thewrap 1 a such that in a finished package the opening strip 9 is on onelong side of the package, placed for example vertically and essentiallyin the middle of the side, and passes through the outer folds 1 c ateach end of the package. Thus the opening strip 9 does not surround thewhole package, but only about half of the package's perimeter,essentially in a horizontal direction in parallel with the paper sheets3. The material of the opening strip 9 can vary but it is sufficientlystrong and essentially inelastic or very slightly elastic. The openingstrip 9, hidden inside the wrap 1 a, is shown using a dashed line inFIG. 2. FIGS. 5-8, on the other hand, only display the end of theopening strip, which end is equipped with incisions 20.

The package in FIG. 2 is surrounded by an external carry handle 12,intended for lifting and carrying the package. Carrying the package withjust one hand can be heavy, so the package can also be carried with bothhands placed in the lifting gaps 7. The package can also be producedwithout the external carry handle 12, with the intention of carrying thepackage only by the lifting gaps 7. The package may also containotherwise placed handles or carry handles, for example as in the handlesolutions displayed later in FIGS. 5-8.

FIG. 4 shows another solution according to the invention. In thissolution, the protective package 1 is a corrugated board box 11 equippedwith a lid 10, or a similar box. For clarity, a part of the lid 10 hasbeen cut off in FIG. 4. The sheet bundle 2 with its handles 4 and itspossible base and top plates 5 and 6, is placed in one bundle into thebox 11, which is closed with the lid 10. When the sheet bundle 2 isplaced into the feed tray of a photocopier or printer, the lid 10 of thebox 11 is removed and the sheet bundle 2 is lifted as one bundle, usingtwo hands on the handles 4, from the box 11, and placed in the feedtray. If the bundle 2 is tight inside the box 11, the box walls can beopened at the corners and folded down before the bundle 2 is lifted. Anessentially identical carry handle 12 as that shown in FIG. 2 can beplaced around FIG. 4's protective package 1 consisting of the box 11 andits lid 10.

All of the solutions shown in the examples above, and all othersolutions according to the invention, are characterised by the fact thatthe paper packages are manufactured so that a large number of papersheets 3 can be placed in the machine that uses them as ergonomically,quickly and easily as possible. Therefore the sheet bundle 2, enclosedin its protective package 1 consisting of a wrap 1 a or a box 11, isarranged to be placed in the machine that uses paper sheets 3essentially as a whole bundle, so that at least a part of the protectivepackage 1, for example a part of the wrap 1 a or of the box 11 or asimilar package, is removed before the bundle is placed in the machine.If necessary, the whole protective package 1, e.g. the wrap 1 a, the box11 or similar package, can be removed before the bundle 2 is lifted intothe machine. If only, for example, one part of the wrap 1 a is removedbefore the bundle 2 is placed in the machine, the rest of the wrap isremoved immediately after the bundle 2 is placed in the machine.

FIGS. 5-8 show other kinds of carry handle solutions for the packageaccording to the invention. FIG. 5 shows a package according to theinvention, with a separate carry handle 13 at each end of the package.The strip-shaped, suitably enforced carry handle 13 is glued at each endof the package in between the outer folds 1 b and 1 c and the innerfolds 1 d and 1 e.

Similarly, FIG. 6 shows a package according to the invention, with aseparate carry handle 14 at the top of the package. The carry handle 14is made for example out of fibre-reinforced paper laminate, and glued atthe ends to each end of the package, for example so that the glue seamis placed between the inside of the handle and the outside of all of thepackage's end folds 1 b-1 e. In addition the carry handle 14 can beglued along a short distance to the top of the package at the ends ofthe package. This creates a durable and easy-to-use carry handlesolution.

FIG. 7 shows a similar handle solution to that in FIG. 6, but in thisembodiment a strip-shaped carry handle 15 is placed crosswise across thepackage and glued at the ends to the sides of the package. For increaseddurability, the carry handle 15 can be glued along a short distance tothe wrap at top of the package, starting from the upper edges of thepackage.

The carry handles 14, 15 described in FIGS. 6 and 7 can also be made tosurround the whole package, being glued for example at the bottom to thepackage so that the carry handle will not disappear. In such a case thecarry handle also supports the load, which means that the wrap 1 a canbe thinner than that used in solutions where the handle is glued to thewrap or ones where the package is lifted by the wrap's end folds.

FIG. 8 shows a carry handle solution in which a strip-shaped handle 16is placed crosswise across the package and glued at the ends to the topof the package. The attachments are strengthened with a reinforcementtag 17, which tag has a hole in the middle for the carry handle 16 topass through. The reinforcement tag 17 is glued to the top of thepackage so that it covers the ends of the carry handle 16.

The wrap 1 a according to the invention must fulfil certain requirementsrelated to protectiveness, bursting strength, tear resistance,gluability and printability. In addition, the wrap 1 a must protect thecontents of the package from moisture. Thus the material of the wrap 1 acan for example be formed such that the base layer 22 is paper, to whichan additive is added during production as online coating in the papermachine's coating section, which additive consists of plastic, a polymermixture or a similar suitable material 23 that slows down moistureabsorption, in a suitable quantity such that the water vapourtransmission rate (WVTR) of the wrap 1 a, calculated according to theISO 2528:1995 standard, is less than approximately 50 g/m²/d, preferablya maximum of 30 g/m²/d and favourably a maximum of 10 g/m²/d. Suchpolymers or polymer mixtures added during the paper's production processare for example latex and various mineral mixtures.

According to one of the embodiments of the invention, the wrap 1 a thatforms the protective package 1 is so smooth that it can be coated inplastic more easily. In this case the wrap is coated at least on oneside with a plastic film using a separate extruder, as is done in someknown solutions. Thanks to the smoothness of the paper, less plastic hasto be used than before. Suitable plastic films for this purpose includepolyethylene (PE) films, poly-ethylene terephthalate (PET) films andpolypropylene (PP) films.

A further embodiment of the invention consists of the combination of thetwo embodiments described above. In this solution, the wrap 1 a consistsof paper to which a polymer compound has been added during production inthe paper machine's coating section, after which a plastic film is addedto the paper in a separate extruder.

The materials and thicknesses of the different layers of the wrap 1 aare chosen so that the end result in each of the three embodiments ofthe invention described above is a wrap in which the total quantity ofplastic out of the overall layering of materials is essentially lessthan 10% of the total weight of the wrap 1 a. Favourably, the totalquantity of plastic is a maximum of approx. 5% of the wrap's 1 a totalweight. This makes the wrap environmentally friendly and morerecyclable, with reduced recycling costs.

FIG. 9 shows the layer structure of one of the wraps 1 a according tothe invention, simplified to show only the essential layers. Inaddition, the thicknesses of the layers are not to scale. The base ofthe wrap 1 a consists of a base paper layer 22. Depending on the type ofpaper, the base paper layer 22 can have one or more layers. Only onelayer is shown in the figure for simplicity. On top of the paper layer22 is a printing ink layer 21, which covers the surface of the paperlayer 22 at least partially. On the other side of the paper layer 22, isa polymer layer added during the paper's production as online coating,or a similar layer 23 that slows down the penetration of moisture.

FIG. 10 has a similar layer structure to that in FIG. 9, but the polymerlayer or similar layer 23 that slows down the penetration of moisture isplaced in between the printing ink layer 21 and the paper layer 22.Therefore the printing is done onto layer 23, which must be suitable forprinting. In addition, an essentially thin plastic film 25, such as aPE, PET or PP film, has been added to the wrap 1 a in an extruder.

FIG. 11 shows the layer structure of the third protective wrapping 1 aaccording to the invention, simplified to show only the essentiallayers. In addition, the thicknesses of the layers are not to scale. Thelayer structure is similar to that in FIG. 9. In this structure, asurface layer 24 is added to the top of the base paper layer 22, whichsurface layer can be fused using heat or ultrasound. In this case,instead of using separate glue, all seams that are normally glued, canbe produced by heat sealing or ultrasound. There printing ink layer 21does not have to go over the seams that will be fused.

The layering and, particularly, the thickness of the wrap 1 a can beused to regulate how resistant the paper bundles inside the package areto blows and strokes from the outside. At least the thickness of thewrap 1 a should be such that the weight of the wrap is in the range60-250 g/m². The weight can be bigger in special circumstances, up tofor example 500 g/m². Depending on the wrap material, a suitablethickness range, expressed in weight, is 80-160 g/m². The thickness cansuitably also be such that the weight is 120-150 g/m².

Those skilled in the art will see that the invention is not limited tothe example given above, but can be varied within the scope of thepatent claims given below. For example, the number of paper sheets inthe sheet bundle within the wrap or box can vary, being different fromthe above-mentioned 2,500. Suitable sheet quantities might for examplerange between approx. 1,000 and approx. 5,000.

Further, those skilled in the art will see that instead of wrapsdescribed above, other kinds of thin and protective structures can beused. For example wraps consisting of nonwoven fabric or other similarthin protective materials can be used in the solution according to theinvention.

Further, those skilled in the art will see that there can be just onehandle instead of two. In that case the width of the handle can besimilar to that of the handles described above, which makes lifting thesheet bundle easiest with one hand. The handle can also be essentiallywider than the handles described above, which means that the singlehandle placed in the middle of the bundle can be used for lifting withboth hands, by placing one hand at each edge of the handle.

Further, those skilled in the art will see that the size of the papersheets can differ from the abovementioned A4 size. The paper sheets canbe larger, smaller or differently shaped than A4 sheets.

1. An arrangement for packaging sheet material such as paper intendedfor printing or photocopying use, in which arrangement a number of papersheets (3) is placed within a common protective package (1),characterised in that inside the protective package (1) there is atleast one handle (4), which is placed essentially around all of thepaper sheets (3) in the package.
 2. An arrangement according to claim 1,characterised in that inside the protective package (1) there are twohandles (4) placed horizontally at a parallel distance from each other,which handles are placed around all of the paper sheets (3) in thepackage.
 3. An arrangement according to claims 1 or 2, characterised inthat the handles (4) are placed in essence symmetrically in relation tothe midline of the sheet bundle (2) consisting of paper sheets (3), suchthat each handle (4) is essentially the same distance from the end ofthe bundle (2) as the other.
 4. An arrangement according to claim 1,characterised in that outside the protective package (1), essentially atthe midline of the package, is a carry handle (12) that surrounds thepackage, and in that the handles (4) are placed horizontally atdifferent lines than the carry handle (12), at each side of the carryhandle (12).
 5. An arrangement according to claim 1, characterised inthat inside the protective package (1), beneath the sheet bundle (2), isa base plate (5), made of a material stronger than that of the papersheets (3), which base plate (5) is placed between the undermost sheet(3) of the sheet bundle (2) and the handles (4).
 6. An arrangementaccording to claim 1, characterised in that inside the protectivepackage (1), at the top of the sheet bundle (2), is a top plate (6),made of a material stronger than that of the paper sheets (3), which topplate (6) is placed between the top sheet (3) of the sheet bundle (2)and the handles (4).
 7. An arrangement according to claim 1,characterised in that the protective package (1) consists of anessentially flexible wrap (1 a), which wrap (1 a) has an opening strip(9), which opening strip (9) is placed on the wrap (1 a) such that in anunopened package the opening strip (9) is on one long side of thepackage and passes through one set of outer folds (1 c) at the ends ofthe package.
 8. An arrangement according to claim 7, characterised inthat the opening strip (9) only goes around approximately one half ofthe package's perimeter, essentially in a line with the level of thepaper sheets (3).
 9. An arrangement according to claim 1, characterisedin that at each end of the package there are at least outer folds (1 b,1 c) and inner folds (1 d, 1 e), which folds are placed at leastpartially overlapping, in that a lifting gap (7) is formed between theouter folds (1 b, 1 c) and the inner folds (1 d, 1 e).
 10. Anarrangement according to claim 1, characterised in that plastic, apolymer mixture or another similar material that slows down thepenetration of moisture is added to the wrap (1 a) using the onlinemethod during the production of the wrap (1 a) in a paper machine. 11.An arrangement according to claim 1, characterised in that a maximum of10%, favourably a maximum of approx. 5% of the total weight of the wrap(1 a) consists of plastic.
 12. An arrangement according to claim 1,characterised in that the water vapour transmission rate (WVTR) of thewrap (1 a), calculated according to the ISO 2528:1995 standard, is lessthan approx. 50 g/m²/d, suitably a maximum of approx. 30 g/m²/d andfavourably a maximum of approx. 10 g/m²/d.
 13. An arrangement accordingto claim 1, characterised in that the protective package (1) is a box(11) equipped with a lid (10).
 14. An arrangement according to claim 1,characterised in that the paper sheets (3) are arranged to be liftedwith the use of at least one handle (4) as a single bundle (2) ofessentially approx. 1,000-5,000 paper sheets (3) into a machine thatuses the paper, after the partial or complete removal of the protectivepackage (1) from around the sheet bundle (2).
 15. An arrangementaccording to claim 1, characterised in that the paper sheets (3) arearranged to be lifted with the use of two handles (4), with both hands,as a single bundle (2) of essentially approx. 1,000-5,000 paper sheets(3) into a machine that uses the paper, after the partial or completeremoval of the protective package (1) from around the sheet bundle (2).16. An arrangement according to claim 2, characterised in that outsidethe protective package (1), essentially at the midline of the package,is a carry handle (12) that surrounds the package, and in that thehandles (4) are placed horizontally at different lines than the carryhandle (12), at each side of the carry handle (12).
 17. An arrangementaccording to claim 2, characterised in that inside the protectivepackage (1), beneath the sheet bundle (2), is a base plate (5), made ofa material stronger than that of the paper sheets (3), which base plate(5) is placed between the undermost sheet (3) of the sheet bundle (2)and the handles (4).
 18. An arrangement according to claim 2,characterised in that inside the protective package (1), at the top ofthe sheet bundle (2), is a top plate (6), made of a material strongerthan that of the paper sheets (3), which top plate (6) is placed betweenthe top sheet (3) of the sheet bundle (2) and the handles (4).
 19. Anarrangement according to claim 2, characterised in that the protectivepackage (1) consists of an essentially flexible wrap (1 a), which wrap(1 a) has an opening strip (9), which opening strip (9) is placed on thewrap (1 a) such that in an unopened package the opening strip (9) is onone long side of the package and passes through one set of outer folds(1 c) at the ends of the package.